United Way of Morris County News
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United Way Grants Over $4 Million to Gulf Coast Region
October 18, 2005

On October 18, 2005, 29 United Way organizations received the first grants from the United Way Hurricane Response and Recovery Fund. The grants, totaling more than $4.2 million, will be used for urgently needed community services including food, clothing, housing, healthcare, transportation, job training, counseling, childcare assistance, and helping social service agencies regain their capacity.  In keeping with the purpose of the Fund, the grants support both immediate needs and the coordination and implementation of long-term recovery efforts.

The communities span the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama. Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall, the United Ways in these communities have been gathering resources, providing volunteers, delivering financial assistance and human services, and contributing to the stability and resiliency of their communities. The grants from the Fund are a clear signal to these communities that they're not alone, and that by working together we can help our nation recover in the long term.

The Fund, which includes gifts from more than 20,000 individuals, United Ways and corporations, will award additional grants within the next few weeks. Since it was created, the United Way Hurricane Response and Recovery Fund has received more than $8 million in contributions. In addition to the national fund, local United Ways have raised approximately $16 million and are in the process of distributing it to address hurricane needs.

Grants were determined by a committee of volunteers and staff led by Rodney Slater, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, former head of the Federal Highway Administration, current partner in the public policy practice group of Patton Boggs LLP in Washington, D.C., and a member of the United Way of America Board of Trustees.

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